The Roland
R. Cross, Jr. Visiting Professorship
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The son of a doctor who was Director of Public Health for
the State of Illinois, Roland R. Cross, Jr., was born in Pine
Ridge, SD, on Sept. 8, 1915. He obtained his B.A. degree from
Washington University of St. Louis in 1936 and matriculated
to Washington University Medical School, graduating in 1940.
He began a rotating internship at the University of Illinois
R & E Hospital, Chicago, in January 1941, and served for
three months as assistant in the Pathology Department, Columbia
University Presbyteriann Medical Center,
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York City, in 1942. In October 1942, he entered the United States
Army, University of Illinois Affiliated 27th Evacuation Hospital.
He served both stateside and overseas for four years, leaving
military duty on Jan. 1, 1946. During his duty overseas, he
was chief of the surgical team at 132nd Evacuation Hospital. |
On Jan. 1, 1946, he began his residency in general surgery at Hines
Veterans Administration Hospital, followed by a urology residency
at the same institution on Jan. 1, 1948. He became a full-time staff
urologist at the Hines Veterans Administration Hospital in 1949
and started private practice in 1950.
His academic life began with his appointment as Clinical Assistant
in the Department of Urology in 1950 at Northwestern University
Medical School. He was promoted to the rank of Assistant Professor,
and in 1969 became Associate Clinical Professor and Chairman of
Urology at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine. In 1973,
he was promoted to Clinical Professor and Chairman of the Department
of Urology at Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, a position
which he held until 1979. From 1978-79, he was Acting Chief of Staff
at the Foster G. McGaw Hospital and Acting Dean of Staff at the
Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine. In 1979, he served
as Associate Dean for Admissions at Loyola University Stritch School
of Medicine, retiring in 1986 at age 70.
In 1987, Dr. Cross was awarded Professor Emeritus status by the
Stritch School of Medicine, Loyola University. He was a member of
many Chicago, regional and national medical and urologic societies.
He served as Chairman of the Union Health Care Committee of the
Chicago Medical Society, Northside Branch from 1961-65 and was President
of the Chicago Urologic Society from 1976-77. He was affiliated
with many local hospitals, serving on the attending, consulting
or courtesy staffs, and, of course, was instrumental in training
a great number of residents both at the Hines Veterans Administration
Hospital and Loyola Foster G. McGaw University Hospital. Dr. Roland
Cross was awarded the Stritch Medal by Father Raymond Baumhart at
the Annual Loyola Award Dinner in 1998.
Dr. Cross met his wife, Helen Hubbard, during the war while she
was serving as a nurse. They were married in March 1946 and have
two children, Carol and Cynthia.
Many of us enjoyed the pleasure of having Roland Cross, Jr. as
a loyal friend and colleague. He was devoted to Loyola University
Medical Center, the Hines Veterans Administration Medical Center
and to his many friends in the field of urology and medicine in
general. He was an affable fellow with whom it was always a pleasure
to talk. He was extremely well informed on many subjects outside
of medicine and was always entertaining.
Because of his unending devotion to his profession as a physician
and urologist and his important formative influence on urology at
Hines Veterans Administration Medical Center and the Department
of Urology at Loyola University Medical Center, it seems fitting
to dedicate the semi-annual Urology Visiting Professorship in his
memory, the Roland R. Cross, Jr., Visiting Professorship in Urology.
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